A common thread among many of these hikes was the white and red blaze of the GR20. Our day in the Bonifatu was spent along the old first stage of the GR20, where we came within shouting distance of the Refuge de Carrozzu. We hiked in the Restonica Valley to the Lake of Melo and looked up the grey cliffs toward the Breche de Capitellu, the GR20's highest point. Hiking from the Niellu Valley we reached the Lake of Nino where we saw the Corsican Army training along the GR20. And lastly, we followed the red and white blazes up the Golo River to have lunch and take a quick dip in the cold cascades coming down from the shoulder of Paglia Orba.So perhaps it was predictable that, after our return, I resolved to hike the GR20 as soon as I could. In July I showed some pictures to my friend Markus, and recruited him to join me at some vague future date. After finding a great guide book, my eagerness grew. I wrote to Markus in early March reminding him of his commitment. A few weeks later we had booked plane tickets to Calvi for arrival on June 10, 2006, and departure a bit over a week later. Soon after that we had a rough plan to hike the GR20 from Calenzana to Vizzavona, details to be decided when we arrived.
With tickets booked, a friend to accompany me, and a basic outline of the trip I contacted Pascale, our guide from Vallecime, to get basic information about the refuges, weather, and food/water availability we could expect. Even in early 2006 there was very little information on the web about the GR20 (and even then mostly in French), so having an expert contact in Corsica was a critical addition to the Cicerone guide.All that was left to do was train with my weighted pack, update old equipment with some new ultralight gear, and learn a bit of French.
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